This week, lawyers for Microsoft and the U.S. Justice
Department had one last chance to argue their case before U.S. District
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson. The one-day court date allowed lawyers for
both sides to once again sum up their case. After that, Jackson will
decide the historic case. A preliminary decision is expected some time in
November or December. A final ruling is not expected until next Spring and
will give both sides time to work out a settlement.
In their final arguments, Microsoft stuck to its base defense positions
that it did not illegally wield monopoly power over the software and that
the company is facing strong competition from new technology. Microsoft
also denies again that it ever misused its influence to crush technology
rivals such as NetScape it believed posed a threat to its lucrative
Windows software.